Sprawl can be worse than the buildings themselves
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Is sprawl really so terrible? Of course we are trying to make greener buildings, and many think that efficiency improvements in buildings are the most important part of the solution. But the distance a home is from facilities, services and workplaces is a significant factor in the amount of energy that a home uses.
As the old real estate maxim says, location matters! In fact, the energy needed for transportation can be a bigger portion of the total energy used than the amount used for the house itself.
In conventional suburban development, an average American home uses 108 million BTUs (British Thermal Units–a measure of energy consumption) per year for operation (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.). But that same house uses 132 million BTUs per year in transportation energy use–for a total of 240 million BTU/year. In other words, for that average home, 55% of its total energy use is for transportation, and 45% is for operations.
A very green and energy efficient building can be more than undone by locating that building in a remote area. Even a net-zero energy house can be more of a drain on energy infrastructure if it is remotely located. Furthermore, the amount of energy and effort needed to extend infrastructure (roads, sewer and water lines, electricity and gas lines, etc.) is also an enormous drain on resources and materials.
Recently, the same complaint has been raised with the planned relocation of the EPA’s Regional Headquarters in Kansas City, KS, which is being moved from the downtown to a more isolated, suburban location, where transport emissions are expected to be 3 times as much as for the previous location.
Buildings need to be greener, but paying attention to the larger systems is also crucial in making meaningful change needed to get to a more energy efficient future.
image: CC BY-SA 3.0 by SimonP/Wikimedia
via: BuildingGreen
Top 10 solar-power states
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
The New York Times published a rundown recently of the top 10 states in installed solar power capacity. That California was number one was no surprise, but the other nine were interesting to see.
Here’s the full list:
1. California: 47 percent with 971 megawatts
2. New Jersey: 14 percent with 293 MW
3. Colorado: 5 percent with 108 MW
4. Arizona: 5 percent with 101 MW
5. Nevada: 5 percent with 97 MW
6. Florida: 4 percent with 73 MW
7. New York: 3 percent with 54 MW
8. Pennsylvania: 3 percent with 54 MW
9. New Mexico: 2 percent with 45 MW
10. North Carolina: 2 percent with 42 MW
New Jersey has made its way to second place with some major small-scale solar initiatives. Rooftops and utility poles across the state have gotten the solar treatment and all that distributed solar has added up to a nice chunk of MW.
Pennsylvania and North Carolina were interesting additions, as solar programs in other areas, like the Southwest, have gotten a bit more attention. But it is worth noting that there is over a 900 MW gap between California and North Carolina. California is really at the level I wish all states would strive for, and while 42 MW is nothing to sneeze at, that type of number making our top 10 shows we have a much longer way to go overall.
via NY Times
Biodegradable Products May Not Be So Green
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
LiveScience.com – Once thrown out, biodegradable products — everything from trash bags and diaper liners to pens — are designed to break down relatively quickly and disappear into the natural environment. But these products may not live up to their green image, new research indicates.
Tropical ‘hotspots’ may get too warm to farm
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AFP – Climate change is on track to disrupt lifeline food crops across large swathes of Africa and Asia already mired in chronic poverty, according to an international study released Friday.
Wildlife activists protest Yellowstone bison experiments
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Reuters – Wildlife advocates are protesting a government plan to kill an undetermined number of bison from Yellowstone National Park after scientists conduct a birth-control experiment on the animals with an EPA-registered pesticide.
Mountain gorilla twins born in Rwanda
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AFP – A mountain gorilla in northern Rwanda has given birth to twins, a rare occurrence for an endangered species whose numbers have dwindled to less than 800, officials said Friday.
Minister: China needs to step up nuclear oversight
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AP – China must increase oversight of its nuclear power plants after Japan’s disaster, a senior Chinese official said Friday, as the country advances an ambitious program to build more reactors.
US coal film aims to put wind in green energy sails
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AFP – A new film protesting against US coal mining and starring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aims to boost green alternatives such as wind power and highlight “criminal” destruction by the industry.
China says addressing pollution in Inner Mongolia
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AP – A Chinese official says the government and local agencies are addressing pollution concerns that sparked clashes leading to a wave of ethnic protests across Inner Mongolia.
Ice sculpture in Sydney raises polar bear plight
June 3, 2011 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
AFP – A huge ice sculpture of a polar bear designed to raise awareness about global warming and the plight of the endangered creature was unveiled in Sydney.
